Counselling that meets you where you are —
in the office, online, or under the cedars.
Vanya Laporte, Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) in
Victoria, BC. Trauma-informed, somatic, and nature-based
therapy for individuals, families, and the people who care
for them.
Some weeks the body feels heavy.
The mind keeps replaying old stories.
Or something just feels quietly off.
Whatever has brought you here, you are welcome.
Vanya offers a warm, mindful space — in her cottage/office
in Victoria, BC, online across British Columbia, or
out on the trails of the Saanich Peninsula — for slowing
down, listening inward, and finding your way back to
yourself.
Counselling Services
Individual, family, and relationship counselling drawing on Internal Family Systems (IFS), the Hakomi Method, somatic and mindfulness-based practice. In-office, online, or outdoors.
Learn moreNature-Based Counselling
Outdoor therapy on the trails of Elk/Beaver Lake, Summit Park, and Francis King Regional Park. Vanya's flagship specialty, with 15+ years of deep nature connection work behind it.
Learn moreClinical Supervision
Nature-informed, somatic, and feminist clinical supervision and consultation for new and seasoned therapists across British Columbia.
Learn more
About Vanya
"Vanya's basket of skills weave together mindfulness, a body-centered and trauma-informed approach, along with deep nature connection. She holds a deeply compassionate and nourishing space for her clients that is both gentle and grounded."
Vanya is a Registered Clinical Counsellor, Certified Hakomi Practitioner, and Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapist based in Victoria, BC. She has spent over 15 years guiding deep nature connection work alongside her clinical practice, and she serves clients across Victoria, the Saanich Peninsula, the Highlands, and throughout British Columbia via telehealth.
Her approach is inclusive — queer-positive, body-positive, gender-affirming, and culturally sensitive — and grounded in feminist and anti-oppressive values.
A different kind of therapy room
Most people are tired of "their story." This approach is not about retelling your problems for lengthy amounts of time. Your history lives in the way you do things every minute — in your body, your gestures, your breath, your nervous system.
Vanya will be listening for those defining patterns, and gently helping you set up small experiments in mindfulness — sometimes inside, sometimes on a trail, sometimes online. The goal is not to fix you. The goal is to help you remember the resources that have been quietly waiting inside you all along.
With increased awareness and compassionate support, you get to choose how to live a meaningful life.
Who Vanya supports
- •Individual adults navigating anxiety, depression, burnout, grief, and life transitions
- •Families seeking alternative mental health approaches
- •Parents and caregivers carrying invisible loads
- •LGBTQ2S+ clients seeking inclusive, affirming care
- •Neurodivergent clients, including those with ADHD
- •Helping professionals and other therapists looking for supervision, consultation, or their own therapy
Common areas of focus include: stress, anxiety, depression, trauma, grief and loss, parenting support, emotional regulation, ADHD, social skills, life transitions, ceremony, and reconnecting with the natural world.
What clients say
"Vanya has the kind of presence where she invites deep relaxation and peace. Such a deeply compassionate soul!"
— Mother and Yoga Teacher, Age 31
"I am amazed by how much I have grown since our first session, shifting my perspective to one of openness, curiosity, compassion."
— Writer, Age 47
"Thank you for being a supportive guide as I discovered parts of myself that had been hiding for too long."
— Teacher, Age 39
"Vanya holds a calm, compassionate presence that invites people to feel seen, supported, and at ease. I loved being a part of the Grounding Grove consult group, I didn't know I was coming for the sense of community and all the new skills I learned with Vanya! Thank you!"
— Therapist, age 48
Group programs and workshops
Alongside her individual practice, Vanya facilitates small, experiential group programs for therapists, caregivers, and helping professionals — including The Grounding Grove (a somatic consult group for therapists), Tending the Hearth (a nature-based program for caregivers), and IFS-focused consult groups.
See current workshopsBegin with a free Meet and Greet
You do not have to know what kind of therapy you need before you reach out. A free 15–20 minute Meet and Greet is a low-pressure way to ask questions and see if working together feels right. No counselling is provided in the call — just space to listen and decide together.